The invention relates to a vehicle steering device.
Known vehicle steering devices comprise a steering wheel which has a gas bag module with a gas bag and a covering cap on the front side, the covering cap closing an outlet opening for the gas bag up to its unfolding.
In vehicles, the accommodating of instruments such as for example tachometers, revolution indicators and the like in the instrument panel and also of operating elements is very costly, and furthermore these instruments/operating elements are poorly accessible for repair. Furthermore, the instruments lie behind the steering wheel, so that they only lie in the optimum angle of view for persons of a particular size. In particular, short people can have a restricted view of the instruments owing to the steering wheel.
It is an object of the invention to simplify the equipping of the vehicle with the instrument display and/or operating elements. This is achieved in a vehicle steering device comprising a steering wheel which has a gas bag module with a gas bag and a covering cap on a front side. The covering cap closes an outlet opening for the gas bag up to its unfolding. At least one of a display- and operating device is arranged in the covering cap. The outlet opening runs around at least one of the display- and operating device. The vehicle steering wheel is equipped hitherto only with multifunction switches which adjoin the covering cap laterally. However, it does not serve to accommodate a display- and/or operating device. This has not been considered, because the gas bag module which takes up a large amount of space, tears open almost the entire covering cap and hence the entire hub region of the steering wheel in the case of restraint, so that thereby automatically there is no place available to accommodate the display- and/or operating device. The invention, on the other hand, makes provision that the outlet opening runs around the display- and/or operating device, so that the display- and/or operating device itself remains secured in a stationary manner on the steering wheel even when the covering cap tears open. For the signal transmission, devices are available which have already been developed in connection with the multifunction switches and also in connection with the triggering of the gas generator. The installation of the steering wheel itself is very simple and it can also be easily dismantled, which is a considerable advantage compared with the dismantling of display- and/or operating devices in the instrument panel. The covering cap can have a central depression or opening to house the display- and/or operating device.
Preferably, the outlet opening has a closed ring shape. The gas bag therefore emerges in symmetrical form and centrally, i.e. in the region of the hub, from the gas bag module in the direction towards the occupant.
Preferably the gas bag is also constructed in a ring shape and moves outwards via the outlet opening. The gas bag therefore, in the unfolded state, surrounds the display- and/or operating device which on unfolding of the gas bag remains fastened in a stationary manner on the steering wheel. The gas bag can join together radially inwards on its front wall, so that the indentation is not open from the exterior.
According an embodiment, the display device is a screen to display various vehicle data. The screen is therefore used universally and serves for example to indicate the speed, as a display of a navigation system, radio display, telephone display, WAP screen, PC display, as screen for the transmission/viewing of e-mails, as a touch screen for the combined display and operation of a device or as touch pad for the operating of vehicle elements.
A preferred embodiment makes provision that a steering angle detection sensor is provided which is coupled with the screen via a control arrangement. This control arrangement is engineered and programmed such that it controls the screen so as to be independent of the steering wheel""s angular position, i.e. the screen always providing a horizontally aligned display, although the screen rotating together with the steering wheel since it is rigidly coupled with the latter.